Islands
by Queen Of Sheep
Summary: The team gets stranded after a mission. Most of the team survive on a scorching rock. Wally is on his own. Finding himself in a camp with other kids he understands, who will get to him first? and will he want to leave? Rated T for mentions of child abuse and I still don't understand the rating system.
1. Chapter 1

**My second story although I am really unsure about this one!**

 **Can Lizzy find this story, or will she never know?**

 **Please enjoy!**

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Early in the morning, Batman had called the Team into the mountain for a mission briefing. When they arrived, they lined up and batman told them the mission.

A man or woman was kidnapping kids between the ages of 5 - 14. Forty-nine kids had been reported taken so far and the Justice League had only just found out where they were suspected of being taken. With each kid taken, a note was left saying that the kids had been unharmed or something along those lines.

The first child had been Eleanor Taylor. She was a fourteen year old and had been taken one year and five months ago.

There had been a gap of eleven months before more kids had gone missing and all the kidnappings had been related through the notes and how they were taken.

It took seven months for the issue to catch the attention of the league and then for them to find what the person was doing with the kids. There had been no kidnappings for a month.

They thought the kids had been taken to a remote island in the middle of the Indian ocean and now the issue had been bought, by Batman, to The Team.

The Team was to go to the island and locate if and where the kids were. They were not to engage or attempt to free the kids. Once they had visual on the kids and kidnapper, they were to call the league with information on how to get around the island and the entrances and exits.

The League would then take it from there and conduct a _proper_ rescue _plan._

Batman emphasized how they were only to gather important information on how _the League_ should rescue the kids.

The mission was going to last for a whole thirty hours and they were to radio if _any_ trouble occurred.

As they were loading the Bioship, their mentors came to say bye and wish them luck since it was going to be over two days before they saw them again.

Wally was ecstatic that he would be away from his _father_ for so long. Although the security precautions were a _bit_ much.

If they didn't radio in when they got there, the league would come. If they didn't radio in at the 115th-hourmark, the league would come. If they hadn't radioed in by the 31st-hour mark, the league would come. If they reported _any_ trouble, the league would come. If the league didn't like it, _the league would come._ They were taking no precautions about a person who had managed to kidnap fortynine children and hadn't been found.

They knew nothing of the kidnapper which was why they were taking their time with the mission. It could be a powerful metahuman woman, or it could just be a random normal creepy dude. They had reason to be paranoid.

The team waved goodbye and off they went towards the island.

It was a twelve hour flight and they were expected to get there about three in the morning. They would be gone a total of fifty four hours including the flights there and back. They had plenty of changes of clothes and the back of the ship was full of food (mostly for wally) and medical supplies.

The team played games or entertained themselves on the way there. When it got darker, they slept so that they wouldn't be that tired when they arrived.

Miss Martian changed the seats into sleeping pods meaning each member got a bit of privacy as they slept. She set the ship on auto pilot and told it to wake her at two in the morning.

Five hours later, Miss Martian woke the rest of the team and they prepared to land.

They landed in a secluded area of the island that was hard to get to but that just helped their chances of success.

For the first fifteen hours, the mission went well.

Making camp had been tough because of the rain that seemed nonstop.

They found a house on the side of the islands resident mountain and spotted a man who was assumed to be the kidnapper. He was tall, looked strong and Kid named him Cuddly as when they first saw him, he had been asleep cuddling a teddy bear.

They examined the house and surrounding areas. There was no signs of the kidnapped children but plenty of ways to get into the house. They watched Cuddly and focussed on that half of the mission for the first fifteen hours. Nothing bad happened. Yet.

After they called in on the fifteen hour mark, they started looking for the children, splitting into three pairs. Kid Flash and Robin went together, Artemis and Aqualad went as another pair and Miss Martian and Superboy were the final pair. They decided that they would spend three hours at one task and then the pairs would rotate after meeting up and sharing info.

Robin and Kid went to the south of the island to search for the missing kids, Aqualad and Artemis watched Cuddly to see if he either led them to the kids, gave away important information or to just see if he went near to where the other two groups were. Miss M and Superboy searched the north of the island.

The island was small enough for Miss M to keep up a mind link without trouble.

It didn't go well. The south part of the island that they had managed to search was empty without any signs of the kids. The kidnapper spent his day watching tv or on his computer. The north side was just as empty as the south.

They met up to share information and that's where things _really_ didn't go well.

Out of nowhere, Artemis and Robin were both shot with tranq darts that left them down in the mud unconscious. The others didn't even have time to panic.

Superboy went down after inhaling some green gas that came from nowhere and Miss M went due to a mysterious fire that appeared.

Kaldur was electrocuted by… _something_.

In his panic, Kid tried to run but he slipped on mud and went tumbling down a hill. He hit his head multiple times on the way down which effectively knocked him out. For once, his clumsiness saved him. Just, not for long.

Five members of the team were taken and the sixth was left unconscious at the bottom of the muddy hill hidden by some plants. The marks he left on his way down the hill were washed away by the rain that started just as he fell into unconscious as he watched a blurry figure drag away a blurry green figure.

A few hours later, something was dragging the unconscious teen hero away.

Robin, Miss M, Artemis, Aqualad and Superboy woke up in some cave. They had been stripped of their costumes and earpieces. They were wearing some strange brown clothing that seemed designed for outdoor use

Robin and Artemis were both wearing brown domino masks. The other three wore inhibitor collars effectively robbing them of their powers. Robin couldn't get them off without any tools.

They all felt like a mouldy log that was being eaten from the inside out by some gross bug things. They just felt tired and a bit sick. Teenagers are _so_ dramatic.

It took them about half an hour to recover enough to stand and leave the cave where it didn't take long to realize that they were on a completely different island.

Kid woke up in a hammock that hung in an impromptu tent. He wore the same style of clothing as the others and he had a mask like Robin and Artemis but he also had an inhibitor collar. He slowly came to properly and took note of his surroundings.

Through a gap in the tents door, he saw that he was in a rainforest. There hadn't been a rainforest on the island so it took his brain about ten minutes to guess that he was on a different island.

He slowly got up and a girl of around ten walked in with food and water and told him it would all be explained when Ela got back.

Ela turned out to be Eleanor Taylor. The first kidnapped kid. She was now fifteen, nearly sixteen. She was tall, fit and had a survival feeling about her.

Her brown hair was plaited, when Kid thought about it, most girls had their hair plaited here, and it had flowers in it. When plaited, it reached halfway down her back meaning that it must be _really_ long when out the plait. Her eyes were a beautiful blue that reminded him of the northern lights.

Kid decided she was more stunning than even Megan with cookies. She was more beautiful than Artemis when she shows one of her rare smiles. If this girl was here, then he _never_ wanted to leave.

Her voice was the most amazing thing he heard as she explained the whole story to him.

When she had been taken, she had woken up here in this style of clothing and told to survive. All she was given were the basics. At first, it was nearly impossible but eventually, it became easier.

When she became ill, somebody helped her. She then realized that the person she thought of as the bad one was actually being threatened to do this. If he didn't kidnap them then his two daughters and wife would be tortured and killed. He had no choice and in the end, she understood.

When others started arriving, she was happier about it and soon they had a community built in the jungle with everything they needed.

What shocked Kid the most was what she said next. Most kids were happy to be here. A lot of them never tried to leave because this was a nice life. They had their own island and a guaranteed survival.

The man had bought them animals to farm and they had other farms around the island and hunting was good due to the amount of animals. They were careful not to kill too many animals or to overfish but even without the precautions, they would still have plenty of food.

Life here was good. If they tried to make a raft to leave, they could easily die in a storm. She was hiding something but Kid didn't push it.

He asked the time. When she answered, he realized that the thirty first hour mark wasn't for another nine hours. He settled down and decided to enjoy his time there. He slept from one in the morning till six in the morning when he was woken by Ela.

The place was a village of tents that went from the ground and up into the trees. It was amazing.

Campfires were spread around everywhere. There was the main campfire which was taller than Kid himself.

Kids of varying ages walked around doing daily tasks. Everyone had a job and in the end, he ended up spending the rest of the daylight hours helping with one job or another.

All the kids here were wearing the same brown cargo shorts and brown top with the lighter trainer like combat boots. He was told that everyone shared everything but underwear and they had shorts, tops and boots for the day, trousers, jumpers and lighter trainer shoes for the cooler evenings or during storms and loose, light cotton tops and trousers for sleep.

Ela said that the man gave them plenty of what was needed clothes wise. He understood bra sizes for the " _growing_ " girls and was… _understanding_ of the girls _recurring problem._ All she said for an explanation was "biodegradable" and "very _very_ deep pit."

So there he was. He was happy and relaxed, sat around a _massive_ campfire eating some animal that some of their hunters had caught earlier and it tasted amazing. Especially to his belly that hadn't eaten in too long.

He _was_ worried for the other but they could handle themselves. They had each other. Or so he assumed they did.

He looked at the people around him. He was surrounded by kids who had been here at least a month. It had been a month since the kidnappings stopped. Each of them looked ready to survive something terrible. Each and every one of them were survivors.

Something in the back of Kids mind stirred so he did a quick head count. He counted just over sixty kids in this village. Ela had said that this was pretty much everyone except some who were busy with the other jobs.

He turned to Ela who was on his left. She was eating and looking off into the rainforest. They had become fast friends during the day as he trailed her around helping with jobs.

"Hey, Ela?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah Kid?" she replied easily with a smile on her face.

"Well… we were told that there were only fortynine kids kidnapped but… well, there's easily over sixty kids here. Why?" he asked her, watching as she debated how to phrase her answer to the question.

"Well you, you see, only ten of the kids here want to go home. The reason behind that is all the other kids, well they either came from bad homes or off the streets. A lot of the kids here were either abused by their parents in some way, they have bad homes that aren't worth returning to or they came from _nothing_ to _this_. A lot of them call it Oasis because it's a secret, hidden and safe place for them to live in and they want to be here. Here were they are safe and _happy_. The ten that _want_ to go back have reasons to go. A loving family. People to worry for them. They have something to go back _to_."

Kid had been silent as he listened to the explanation. He couldn't believe these kids could have had such bad lives and the _league_ had not known. _Batman_ had not known. Nobody had known that these kids had been suffering. They didn't know that these kids were safe and happy.

He understood what she said though, all too well.

"So, why dont they find a way to leave?" he asked silently. Despite all the people around, it felt like it was only him and Ela.

"They don't want to risk it. They may have something to go back to, but they have more reason to stay here safe and untroubled where they know that they won't be hurt. The man who took us all, he says that he chooses those who deserve to be free from the life they have. He takes those who don't have anything to be there for but sometimes, people can suffer for something good. That's the difference between those ten and the rest of us, those ten have a reason to suffer. They have a silver lining. The rest only had the storm clouds and being _here_ is the silver lining."

He thought about her answer.

"Which one are you?" when she looked at him, he went on. "Do you have something to go back to or are you in your silver lining?"

"I never had a reason to go back." she looked at the fire now as she spoke. "I came from a _fake_ family. They showed so much love and compassion on the outside but behind closed doors, they saw me as a freak. They took all their troubles out on me. My siblings saw me as a piece of dirt and… I was a freak. I was hated at home. Here however, I'm loved. I can be free and happy and don't have to hide anything."

They had subconsciously moved closer for support but they were telling themselves that it was just for warmth.

"What did they think made you a freak?" she turned her head and they looked into each others eyes. She looked away slightly and began speaking.

"When I was young, there was a… an _incident._ It made me _different._ After I could, well... " she looked away almost ashamed and before Kid knew what he was doing, he removed the stupid mask that had been on his face the whole time. He reached out and grabbed her face turning it back to his gently and they looked at each other for a while.

"I will never judge, no matter what you say." he smiled to her. "For all, I care it turned you into a zombie, vampire thing and you're planning on eating me. I still won't judge or care. You are a good person. Nothing can make you a freak." he looked at her and he moved his hands to her shoulder. She fell into him and hugged him. He hugged her back. One hand on her back and the other playing with the flower in her plait on her head. She had her arms wrapped around his chest.

"I became a shapeshifter." she whispered into his ear.

After a pause, he spoke up, quietly.

"Tell me how it works. What can you change into?" he asked her, moving so that they were looking at the fire with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, I can be any animal I know of. I can give myself wings or horns or a tail or scales. Its like I can alter my appearance with animal features but I can't change my _actual_ appearance. I keep my original appearance the same to how its always been anyway. It's something that will never change. I can also change details of the animals I change into. One minute I can look like a cheetah and the next minute I'm still a cheetah but a _different_ one. Everything about me changes. I usually keep my eyes the same unless I _want_ the advantage of that animals eyes or I want to look exactly like the animal."

The explanation made sense to Ki… Wally. He didn't have the mask. He was Wally now.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Wally. Wally West." they were silent after that. They sat there watching the flames until late when Ela showed him a tent that was up in the trees next to hers.

"Goodnight Wally." she said to him smiling.

"Goodnight Eleanor." he said smiling back making her roll her eyes at the use of her full name.

Wally went into the tent and promptly fell asleep in the hammock. Wally had barely thought of the team during his day there. He had thought of the League though. It had been thirteen hours since the thirty first hour mark. Why hadn't they found him yet?

Whilst Wally had been enjoying his time at the Oasis, the others had experienced a really bad day.

It started when they decided that they felt good enough to look outside the cave that they woke up in.

Artemis stretched and walked over to the entrance hoping that her head stopped hurting at some point. Robin was already there. He had been sat there for a while whilst the others had been recovering from whatever was ailing them.

M'gann had been in general pain and weak from the fire. Conner had been struggling to breath and his lungs hurt. Kaldur was dizzy and disoriented as well as he felt sick when he stood. Robin was tough. He dealt with the pain. (he pouted in the corner.) Artemis had a killer headache and felt slightly queasy.

Looking out, Artemis's stomach dropped. Wherever they were, it wasn't the island they started on. That meant that they would have no way of finding their stuff. The bioship would almost definitely be out of range. They had nothing on them except for a fire starting kit, a water filter, three containers, a metal rod with a sharp end, a machete and a note saying ' _good luck_ '. All in all, they could survive but not get off.

The island that lay sprawled in front of her was rocky and bare. There were very few signs of any animals except birds and the plants that were not promising.

Turning to the pouting Robin, she frowned that even this mask had some eye covers. Although hers had the same and they helped with the very tropical sun.

Looking around, Artemis noticed three pairs of sunglasses laid out on a rock. She picked them up and handed them to the others.

Having done that, she didn't know what else to do. Everyone else was silent. Conner still coughed occasionally and M'gann was leaning against him half asleep. Kaldur was sat against the cave wall with his eyes closed resting. Robin was pouting as he looked out to the rest of the island.

She just wished that Zatanna or Raquel were here. They were off on some different mission. They had probably gotten back to the mountain by now. They probably had a nice cool drink.

She had no idea where Wally was. She was worried about him. Artemis couldn't _help_ but think about Wally. After their kiss on new year, they had gone on a few dates. They still fought though. She just wasn't sure what to think about their relationship but she did care. She was worried.

This was getting boring. Nobody else on the team were moving apart from her. She was hungry and thirsty and the sky looked like it was nice and sunny.

Picking up the machete and one of the containers, she set off. As she left, Robin looked up from his pouting.

"Where are you going?" he asked faintly.

"I'm going to look for food and water," she replied casting a worried glance at him.

"Okay." he went back to looking out at the island.

With a shrug, Artemis set off. She went down the hill carefully and found a walkable path.

She managed to find a stream and so she followed it up to its source where she collected a container full of water. Luckily, the container had a strap that allowed her to sling it over her back.

As she went in look for food, she found a crate. In the crate, there was rope. Three different sizes and thickness. She also found some cloth that seemed waterproof and some different cloth that looked warm.

She used the fabric and rope to make a temporary backpack and she put the rest of the fabric and rope in there along with the machete.

The next thing she found as she climbed over the rocky landscape was _another_ crate. This one had food in it. It had some meat that had salt rubbed into it and some fruit that looked at the perfect ripeness. This was strange. Why had they been given these things?

When she got back, the others had done _something._ They had made a fire at the entrance to the cave and moved rocks to make seats around it. Moved rocks also made their little corner more secluded. There were two piles of large sticks and small sticks.

Dumping the bag, Artemis grabbed the waterproof fabric and using that, string and some large twigs, she made a little roof over their entrance that would shelter them from any rain and the worst of the sun. She spread the other fabric out at the back of the cave leaving about two meters in the entrance of the cave.

After informing everyone that shoes were not allowed on the fabric in the cave, she shared out the food.

M'gann insisted on heating it up so they used the pointy metal stick and some twigs to make a spit over the fire.

M'gann and Kaldur kept their distance from the fire and they all sat there eating their meal, sparing plenty for the next day.

Conversation was sparse and muted. Nobody was in a good mood. After eating, they filtered the water out, letting Kaldur have more than the rest of them before they took off their shoes and got onto the fabric makeshift bed and they slept.

Robin alone in the corner, M'gann and Conner loosely cuddled together, Artemis and Kaldur slept alone but they weren't separated like Robin or cuddly like M'gann and Conner. They acted like the good friends they were.

Their day had been bad but they all knew that the Justice League would come and they were reassured that _they_ were not alone. It wasn't them they were worried about. It was their missing member that they worried for. They didn't know where he was and they could only fear for his safety.

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 **Hope you enjoyed it and it would be wonderful if I got some reviews.**

 **Thanks for acknowledging.**

 _ **Sheep Queen**_


	2. Chapter 2

**This isn't the best chapter but I hope you enjoy!**

 **Also please check out my other fic, _Robins Fire Escape Friend._ It's really good and on its the eighth chapter now!**

 **Also, Lizzy where are you?!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

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When the Team didn't radio in by the 31st hour, Flash panicked, Green Arrow was worried, Superman didn't worry _much_ , Aquaman was concerned, Martian Manhunter worried about his niece and Batman became Daddybats.

As the mentors, Black Canary and Superman stormed down the corridors of the watchtower, the rest of the league knew to move out of the way for their own safety.

They entered the meeting room and sat around the table.

"What's the plan?" Green Arrow was straight to the point.

"They radioed in at the 15th hour informing us that they were fine and had found the assumed house of the kidnapper on the north side of the mountain. We will move in and start looking for signs of where they went. We will start at the bioship and move out looking for clues of where they went. Aquaman, you will look around the coast if there is an entrance somewhere under the sea level. Superman, you and Manhunter will fly over the island _discreetly,_ looking for clues. Black Canary, you and I will go to the man. Flash and Green Arrow, you will search from the ground for signs that cannot be seen from the skies." Batman gave them the direct orders. Nobody argued.

They stood and left after looking at a map of the island for a rough plan. They entered the hanger and took a jet. They set off at 11 in the morning for the six-hour flight. Their method of transport was twice the speed of the bioship.

None of them rested. None of them could. They were too worried. Superman wasn't that tired anyway.

When they arrived at five in the afternoon, they went straight to the bioship. It was in rest mode. There was no sign of the team being here for over a day.

They split up and searched.

The house had been abandoned. There were no signs of anyone. They searched for six hours and they found nothing. They were all worried at this point and Flash was having a panic attack.

They didn't know what to do next.

Black Canary made them rest.

Nobody could sleep easily.

The whole Team was missing and they didn't know what to do.

 **oOoOoOoOoOo**

Wally woke up at six again. He got up and changed into some of the day clothes.

Walking out into the hot and humid rainforest, he took note of how the League still hadn't found him. He wondered if they ever _would_ find him.

Ela was serving out food so he climbed down from the tent and joined her. They served breakfast to people in silence until some others came to take over.

Sitting down to eat their own breakfast, they talked.

"So what are we going to do today?" Wally asked through a mouthful of banana.

"Well I was planning on showing you the island and what there is here," she replied smiling at him as he acted like a kid when eating.

"Sounds awesome! I can't wait to see everything." he grinned at her and she smiled back at him.

Wally stood and put out his hand for Ela who took it happily.

She led him through jungle paths pausing every now and then to show him the different huts and their uses, like the medical hut, the clothes washing hut which sat next to the only river and the fishing hut which was just a bit further down the river and had a small wooden dock. She explained how these huts were already on the island when she got there.

She showed him every farm and feature of the island. They spent lunch sat on a boulder on the beach eating fruits from nearby trees. They walked up the mountain for a better view.

On the way up the mountain, there were laughs and smiles. They talked and shared. They knew that they didn't want to be anywhere but.

They took their time and didn't rush. They didn't need to rush.

They ended the day watching the sunset as they sat on the highest part of the island that was up a massive tree that grew on the side of the mountain.

When they headed down the mountain, Wally tripped and Ela tried to stop him but he accidentally pulled her down with him and they ended up tangled together at the bottom of the hill laughing and blushing. Ela was on top with her arms on his chest. They lay there for a while, just enjoying the rainforest sounds and each others company.

They got back to the camp in time for dinner which was simply, meat and some veg that had been hand grown.

The day had gone well and this evening was different to the previous one as some of the kids got out handmade drums and instruments. The music wasn't great but they had a laugh taking it in turns to make their own lyrics and they could dance to it. The whole day was great and as wally danced with Ela, he couldn't help but think of the Team.

He was worried for them all. He missed having Rob to joke around with. He missed M'ganns cooking. He missed Artemis just in general.

The more he thought though, the more he realised something. He was happier here with Ela, dancing, singing, and laughing, than he had ever been on the dates he and Artemis went on. He missed the Team, but he was happy to stay here. He liked it here.

Sure he wanted to see his uncle, aunt, and friends, but if he could get this collar off, then he could visit whenever he wanted. He could be happy. He wouldn't have to live at home. He wouldn't have to hide the bruises and marks from his friends.

This train of thought made him frown which Ela noticed immediately. Artemis never noticed when he frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked smiling and slightly out of breath from the dancing. He loved her smile. It was so bright and open.

"Just thinking of my family and friends." replying, he smiled gently.

She put her hands on his arms and looked at him reassuringly.

"Your family and friends are _superheroes_. They _will_ find you. They care enough about you that they can't not find you." she smiled at him and he loved how the fire reflected in her eyes and the light danced across her face. He was slightly sad about the comment of his family _caring_ about him. His father certainly didn't care.

He smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug which she returned. The kids around them started whistling and commenting on how 'adorable' they looked whilst making noises.

Pulling back slightly, Wally saw Ela blushing slightly and he looked down at her.

He noticed how she was the perfect height and they fitted together so perfectly. She was so happy and loved seeing others just as happy. Her eyes danced and she was so easy to get along with. It was so easy to fall in love with her. She laughed at his jokes even if she didn't like them. She just liked to laugh. She could make anything cheerful. She was so perfect and easy to love.

"Damn, that hurt," he said smiling to her.

"What?" she asked laughing slightly.

"I just fell for you. Hard," he replied as he smiled at her, moving his head slightly closer to hers. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked at him, smiling even more.

At some point, his hands had gone to rest on her waist and her hands had found their way around his neck.

He lowered his head more and their foreheads touched. She was the _perfect_ height. He looked into her eyes. Their faces were barely an inch apart.

A voice in his head spoke up. ' _This isn't right,'_ he _tried_ ignoring it. ' _What about Artemis? Are you really forgetting about her so soon?'_

His eyes must have shown something because Ela pulled back. Only a little bit.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. Her smile barely faltering.

Wally frowned, looking down and shaking his head. She frowned at him and pulled back a bit more.

"Wally? What's wrong?" she tried to smile with the last bit but it failed. "Wally, come on. What's wrong?" she was getting worried now.

"I'm not a good person," he said pulling away. "I'm sorry."

Wally pulled out of her arms and went to walk away.

The look on her face broke his heart and he couldn't stand it. He left to his tent quickly, leaving the fire and music behind.

Wally dropped into his hammock and rubbed his hands over his face. Wally was such an idiot. He was with Artemis. Even if it wasn't really that serious and even though it didn't feel the same as when he was with Ela.

 _Eleanor Taylor_. She was so beautiful and perfect. He loved her. He didn't want things to change. He wanted to be _here_ with _her_. He was happy. He could forget his home life.

His _home life_. Where his dad hates him. Wally had lived in pain and fear of his _own father,_ he was terrified of the person he was supposed to be able to trust and love.

He goes home to abuse and yelling. If he tells anyone, well why would he? It isn't going to keep happening. When his dad is more sober, he says _sorry_. He promises to stop drinking. It will just take time. He and his mom will just have to wait for that day to come.

Here, he understands these kids. He understands the pain and fear. He understands them and he _knows_ that if he were to open up to them more, they would understand him. Even Rob doesn't know his whole life. He felt as if he almost belonged here and he had only been here for _two days_.

Wally rolled over and sighed. Did he belong here? He felt so happy and at peace. He could choose to be honest with these kids and he knew that they would react understandingly but the team wouldn't know how to react.

If he went back, he would probably have to tell the team about it.

That brought him to his next problem. _Would_ he leave if the League came and found him? Would he _want_ to go back? He had plenty to go back _to_ but he found so much to _stay_ for and he had been here for only two days. Where did he belong? Where was he happy?

He looked through the door of the tent. He could see Ela sat by the fire watching everyone dance. She looked gorgeous with the light dancing across her face in such a way that it highlighted her features. Her eyes shone despite her obviously being upset by his abrupt departure.

He was in love here.

But what about crime fighting? He realised that was the thing that was pulling him back. If he had his super speed back, he could do both.

He would just have to wait for the League to find him then. They could take the collar off and he could have both the things he loved.

Even without his superspeed, he still made quick decisions and his brain still worked faster than most peoples.

Wally laughed realizing how easily he admitted that he loved Ela. He then groaned at how he had just left her.

He came to a decision. The League might not find him for weeks. Hell, they might not find him for _months_. Basically, he was probably going to be here for a while so he might as well enjoy his time here even if it makes things a bit awkward later on.

All he had to do was be completely honest with Ela. He could do that. He _would_ do that.

He fell asleep watching her through the door of his tent. Her smile was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep.

 **oOoOoOoOoOo**

The Team woke up again in the cave although now the moods were lighter. Though Conner still coughed and Kaldur struggled to walk far from the dizziness.

Robin was less moody as he gave out jobs. Everyone took a container each and they all went to get water except Kaldur who stayed back to prepare food for lunch. They then would bring the water back and Kaldur would filter it out. They then got their own jobs. Artemis was going to try find where the birds nest and try to catch birds for food. Robin was going to look around the island for anything useful. Conner and M'gann were going to collect anything useful they found whilst also going down to the sea to attempt to catch fish.

So off they went. They got the water and came back to give it to Kaldur. They then ate what was left of the food Artemis found the day before. They then went their separate ways.

Artemis was climbing over rocks when she found _another_ crate. Opening this one, she was ecstatic with what she found. It had a basic bow and a handful of arrows in a basic quiver. She lifted them out and put the quiver around her waist whilst she carried her new bow over her shoulder. She was grinning. This was the best find out of the three that she had found so far.

Now equipped, she climbed to the top of the hill and sat on a rock waiting for a bird to appear in her line of sight.

Robin was climbing over the rocks as he looked out for a crate like Artemis had said. He had found a large stick that was good enough to be a boa stick, walking stick or spear. Or it could be all three. If he sharpened the end and maybe added a little more weight to the other end then it would be a great weapon and tool in one.

Robin was so distracted that he didn't notice the crate until he tripped over it and landed painfully on his but. He stood rubbing his sore behind as he walked to the offending crate. He glared at it as he opened the top.

Inside was some more string, some colourful feathers, beads, strips of leather, a pocket knife, a lantern, plenty of candles for the lantern, some sort of wax, a rucksack, matches and some throwing knives.

It was a strange combination of things but robin collected all of it into the rucksack and went to carry on before having an idea. He sat on a rock and got out the pocket knife and his walking/boa/spear stick.

M'gann and Conner were making their way down to the sea along a rough path that they found. They had gotten halfway when Conner noticed the crate.

M'gann hesitantly opened it and they were glad she did. Inside was a rucksack, fishing net, basic fishing rod, some bait and a small wooden box full of salt. They packed the bait and salt into the bag and they continued to the sea where they spent the day fishing together.

Kaldur spent the day filtering out and cleaning the water that the others had collected. It took longer than expected and when he had done that, he made sure that the cave was clean and tidy. He kept the fire going and found menial tasks to do to keep himself occupied for the day.

The others arrived one by one as the sun started to get lower.

Artemis came back with her bow and arrows along with two plucked birds.

M'gann and Conner came back with their things and three reasonable sized fish.

Robin was the last to arrive and when he did come back, he had the rucksack with all the stuff in as well as his stick. His stick was now sharpened at one end, waxed and had the leather wrapped around it in the perfect handle space. Below the handle of it, the string had been used to attach the beads and feathers decorating it to look like a proper spear/walking/boa stick.

The others looked at Robin since he was the only one without any food. The grin on his face, however, was enough to stop them from questioning. If it made him happy and stopped him from pouting then they didn't care. They sorted out what they had found and then they prepared and cooked the food they had caught.

When they ate, they spoke more and it was a happier and more enjoyable mood. That night, they went to bed happy, even if they still worried for the safety and well being of their missing teammate.

 **oOoOoOoOoOo**

The mentors, Black Canary and Superman had another meeting to make another plan.

They sat around the meeting table speaking. They all had plans but none of the plans would work.

Batman had been silent for the whole thing. He spoke up now.

"There is a tracker in Robin's suit." the others went silent and looked to him.

"Why were we not told about this before?" Black Canary managed to calmly ask. Flash looked ready to burst and the others were clearly showing their displeasure at not being told this crucial information.

"It may be broken or Robin may not be wearing his uniform." Batman calmly explained. The others didn't much care and sat watching and waiting for him to track it.

Batman did track it. It came out to be in the middle of the Pacific ocean. They all stood and got onto a jet.

As it turned out, the tracker led them to nothing but water. They sent Aquaman to swim down and find it.

They waited in tense suspense for half an hour. They were all silent as they waited.

Aquaman returned. He dropped a pile of uniforms on the floor of the jet. All the team's clothes were there but there was no team.

Flash fainted. Canary was close to crying and the others were all in stages of panic and fear. Batman was the only one who could hide it though.

"What now?" Green Arrow asked silently.

"We tell their families that they are missing." Black Canary told him. Flash had woken up to hear this.

"Iris is going to be devastated," he said morosely.

"How am I supposed to tell Paula that her daughters missing?" Green Arrow sighed rubbing a hand over his face.

They went back to the watchtower before parting ways. All of them had somewhere to go and somebody to talk to.

Batman went to tell to Alfred. Flash went home to tell Iris. Black Canary went to tell Zatanna and Raquel. Superman went _somewhere_. Green Arrow went to tell Paula. Manhunter went to tell Garfield why his 'sister' couldn't visit. Aquaman went to tell Garth and Tula.

The Team was officially missing so now, they all had somebody to tell. Except for Superman. He probably just told a plant.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 _ **Sheep Queen**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait! I've had exams!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

When Wally woke up, it was with a start. He'd had a nightmare. That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was the fact that he didn't panic. Usually, when he woke up from a nightmare, he had a panic attack expecting someone to barge through the door. He never felt safe in his room. He always felt trapped. The walls felt too solid. He _always_ had a panic attack after a nightmare back home.

He didn't have a panic attack here. He just lay there, listening to the sounds of the rainforest and looking at the top of his tent. He felt safe. At that moment, he was safe and calm. He knew that the nightmare was fake. He wasn't afraid here.

It took a few minutes for him to have his breathing back to normal. He climbed out the hammock and changed into some other clothes before going to The Pit… it was just a menacing name for the toilet. They either call it The Pit or The Bog.

He was walking around the camp when he noticed just how beautiful it was at night. There were dim lanterns that were bright enough for people to see by but not too bright that they woke people up.

It looked like there were stars floating in between the trees. He found a place to sit and he stayed there for the few hours until dawn, just watching and listening to the rainforest.

As the sun started to rise and people began to wake up, Wally decided to find Ela. He needed to talk to her.

He wandered back in the direction of the main campfire watching as people started prepping for the day. It was a peaceful moment and Wally felt such a sense of community, it was just wonderful.

He saw her dishing out breakfast like she did yesterday. He walked up to her. She spared him a small smile that made him frown.

' _To hell with being careful,'_ he thought as he put his hand on her shoulder. She stopped and turned to look at him. He pulled her close to him and she was so shocked all she could do was put her hands against his chest.

"I love you," he said to her. He didn't care that others were close enough to hear. He had her and he didn't want it any other way.

"You've only known me three days," she said smiling at him.

"I only needed two days." He didn't care if this was rushed. He was too busy being in love.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his hands on the small of her back. They pressed their foreheads together and grinned at each other.

He didn't know when it happened but their lips connected and it was perfect. Wally felt like he was going to explode with joy.

The kiss was soft and short but it meant the world to them both. When they pulled away, they were both smiling from ear to ear and looking into the other's eyes.

"Everybody is very _happy_ for you both but can we have our _breakfast_ please." somebody spoke up from in front of them. Murmurings of agreement went around the small crowd. Wally didn't know if the agreement was for them being 'happy for them' or if it was for breakfast.

Wally noticed the crowd that had been stood there watching as they waited for their breakfast. Blushing and laughing slightly, the two continued to serve the others breakfast.

They went off with their own breakfast and sat down at a campfire. They were happy until Wally realised that he still needed to talk to her. He had to be _honest_ with her.

"Hey Ela?" he asked and smiled as she turned to him halfway through taking a bite from some sort of fruit.

"Mhmm?" she responded looking at him with the fruit in her mouth in between her teeth.

"I… I…" he sighed and looked down not knowing how to say this. "The reason for last night. You see… I…" he groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

"What is it?" she sounded so unsure. Wally hated it. "You're not gay are you?" she asked trying to joke.

"No. I am definitely _not_ gay." he smiled up at her through his hands. "I, just… promise me something. Just let me explain the whole thing before you react or jump to a conclusion. Can you promise me that?" at her nod, he continued with what he needed to tell her.

"Back home, there… well, there's another girl. We got together after the new year and we've been on a few dates. Her name's Artemis. We work together on the team and well, at first we didn't like each other but after a while, I realised I liked her. So I kissed her and we dated. It was… _nice_. But it just wasn't that good. I realised that I was happier here. I was so much happier being here with _you_. I love it here. I love you. I miss her, sure, but I miss her as a friend. I miss her the same way I miss my other friends. I guess when I next see her, I don't want to continue dating.

"That's if I actually see her again. They might _never_ find me and then I would be waiting for nothing. They may find me in a few weeks or a few months." he looked down and went quieter as he spoke. "They may find me in _years_. I… I don't want to spend my time here waiting for something that may not come for months when I can forget it for now and enjoy what I have here." he looked up at her face. She didn't show any emotion.

"What do you have here?" she asked quietly.

"You," he said looking up at her. "I have you here and I love you."

They sat silently for a bit. Wally was terrified of what her answer would be. She wouldn't want him. Not when he had someone else. She would hate him for lying to her. He might as well leave her alone. He turned his head down.

"I… I love you too." she placed one of her hands on his and the other on his cheek, turning his head to look at her. He was shocked. She still wanted him. She _loved_ him back.

They stared into each other's eyes.

"What about Artemis?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. I can turn into any animal I want if she comes anywhere in between us." she smiled mischievously back at him.

"You haven't actually shown me your shapeshifting yet," he remarked.

"I've been too distracted." her reply was calm.

"With what?" he asked amused.

"You." with that, she leaned in for a kiss when suddenly, she wasn't there. In her place, was a wildcat with the same blue eyes as her and her mischievous spark.

The wildcat stood there ready to run with its tail swishing above it. Wally laughed with enjoyment and half rose to his feet. She took that moment to dash off into the jungle with _his_ last piece of meat in her fangs.

"Hey!" he yelled outraged but laughing and chased after her.

 **oOoOoOoOoOo**

The day for the team passed like the previous one. They went to their own jobs and gathered food and/or water. They had enough food to eat happily.

That night, as they cooked, they spoke of how to get away and find Wally.

"What's the plan?" Artemis spoke first as she added wood to the fire. They were all sat around their reasonably sized campfire with Artemis, Robin, and Kaldur on one side and Conner and M'gann on the other side.

"I think Kaldur should get help," Robin replied turning over the fish that lay on the rocks half in the fire.

"And how will he find help?" Artemis asked snarkily.

"Well, he can breathe underwater." Robin turned to her glaring.

Artemis went silent with acceptance and glared back at Robin.

"I believe that Robin's plan is our best chance," Kaldur replied smoothly, attempting to smooth down the glare battle.

"Okay, but when's he going?" Conner asked gruffly as M'gann leaned against him, using his body to protect herself from the fire.

"If you go, you aren't going tonight," Artemis replied looking at Kaldur.

"You go tomorrow morning, we can give you food for the journey." Robin looked up from the fish.

"It is decided," Kaldur said looking up at them. "I will leave tomorrow morning and look for help or Wally."

"Whichever you find first," Artemis said to him. Kaldur nodded in response, a small, reassuring smile adorned his lips. The team all knew that Wally being missing was having a big impact on Artemis. Her boyfriend was missing. They had no idea where he was. They didn't even know if he was alive.

"So what's the rest of the plan?" M'gann asked nervously.

The team looked at each other quietly. They fell into thought.

"We survive," Robin answered briskly. He looked up at each member of the team. "We keep going. We don't stop trying. We never give up hope. We make a living, even if temporary. We create a routine. We trust in our mentors. We believe that Kaldur will come back with help. We wait and we try. We survive."

He finished speaking and the rest of the team fell silent in thought. They accepted what was happening and they ate. They put some food aside for Kaldur and then they went into the cave and slept.

 **oOo**

Wally was sat at a fire, glaring at the wildcat that was contently curled up in his lap after eating his last piece of meat.

Noticing his glare, the cat started purring.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see eight kids walking towards him. They sat on the logs around him and looked pointedly at the wildcat.

Said wildcat turned over huffing, turning her back to them. Wally picked her up and placed her next to him, facing the others.

A few seconds later, Ela was sat there huffing about not having a few moments of peace.

"So we are assuming that you are going to be a part of our community." A boy with dark skin asked. He was tall, wide and strong looking. He had a set of dark brown eyes with spiky black hair.

"Well if you want me then yes," Wally replied looking around him.

"We can get to that in a minute," Grace said waving her hand in front of Wally's face to shut him up. "First of all, you guys all need to introduce yourselves. You all know Wally so return the favour."

They all nodded and one by one began to introduce themselves. The person closest to Wally started.

"Hi, I'm Lilly!" She was an energetic and very bright looking seven year old. Lilly was small, but then she _was_ young, and she had dark, short hair and bright blue eyes that shone with her energy. "I am in charge of the Gatherers and seven years old."

At Wally's questioning glance, Ela tutted and replied to him.

"We will get to that later." She motioned for the next person to go.

"Names Jack and I am the leader of the Hunters," he spoke with pride and a little hint of craziness. His grin was wide and lopsided with a faraway and yet focused look in his green eyes. His hair was a dark brown and he was built like a runner. He had a bow on his back with a quiver attached to his leg. "Oh, and I am of the age of… erm… I think I'm fourteen."

The others tutted and rolled their eyes as they watched Jack get confused by his own age and count on his fingers.

The next one up was a pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"My name is Jasmine, Jazz for short. I am thirteen and head of the medical staff. If anything happens to you, I am probably busy so go annoy someone else." she was obviously not somebody to annoy or get on the wrong side of.

There was a pause and then everyone looked at the next person who was a boy who had been staring off into space.

"Oh I'm next?" he asked looking around. "Sorry. Joe. That's my name. Joe…" he started staring off again until someone coughed. "Oh right yes sorry, I am the leader of the fishermen and I am twelve years of age. I also get distracted easily." Joe was tall and slightly lanky with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was very calm and stated, a bit like Kaldur. Just more distractible.

The next person reached across and shook hands with Wally.

"Dan. I am in charge of all the building and maintenance here. I'm fourteen. Anything breaks, come to me." Dan had been the one to ask if Wally was staying. He was built like a brick shed and looked strong enough to prove it. He had dark hair, dark skin and spiky black hair with dark brown eyes. He seemed sensible.

"Me next!" a short, ginger girl called out. She turned to Wally and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Belle, and I'm 13." she seemed nice. She had a round friendly face with wavy ginger hair escaping the loose plait on her back. Her eyes were a normal green that shone.

"Okay, I'm next then." a dark haired boy said. He sounded gay. "So, I'm Max and if you make a mess then I'll be using her head to clean it up!" he said it all very sweetly with a little laugh in the middle. He was the type of boy that girls would fall head over heels in love with before finding out that he was gay. "Oh, and before you ask, yes I am gay and I am 14. Also if it wasn't clear, I'm in charge of keeping this place clean. So don't make a mess. Seriously. We do enough as it is."

Beside him, Ela rolled her eyes and leaned in, whispering.

"We all think, or know, he's dating Jack. They are pretty obvious about it despite that they think they're hiding it." She leaned back out, motioning for the next person to speak.

"Saving the best till last, I am Helen." She was in a wheelchair and looked like the most dangerous person hear even though she didn't have a weapon or two legs. "I am the head chef and stay away from my kitchen unless you are delivering food or you missed a meal." she had light brown hair and brown eyes. She was terrifying and she had barely spoken.

"Okay, introductions over, time to get onto business," Ela spoke turning serious.

"What's the business?" Wally asked slightly nervous.

"Rules and jobs," Lilly told him brightly.

"Okay let's hear them." He said confidently. Ela looked around and shrugged. She turned to Wally and started speaking.

"The rules are extremely important. They are how we keep order and there are many punishments. Some rules are common sense and others are harder to enforce.

"Rule one: Don't ever take stuff that belongs to others without their permission. Some of the kids here have very little and what they do have is important to them. Respect that.

"Rule two: Share anything you have. There are exceptions for personal items. There are also exceptions for the exceptions and so on.

"Rule three: Don't start an argument. If an argument is about to happen, both parties are to walk away, no matter if one is correct and the other wrong. You walk away and apologise at the next meal with exception.

"Rule four: Don't ruin something for personal gain. It's that simple.

"Rule five: Do not kill any animal unless you are a hunter or fisher and you need the meat. No exceptions.

"Rule six: All relationships must be appropriate. No exceptions. We have young children here.

"Rule seven: no stealing from the stores. It is theft from the rest of the camp and is treated as one of the worst crimes.

"Rule eight: Don't kill. It's common sense.

"Rule nine: in an emergency, protect the youngest and injured before yourself as long as you are not a part of those two categories.

"If one of these rules are broken, us nine decide what will happen to the person. So far, only three people have broken a rule and it was a simple punishment for each. This camp is supposed to be a nice place so don't ruin that." Ela finished speaking and watched as Wally slowly took the information in.

"Okay, makes sense." He nodded and looked around him.

"Wait," Jack spoke up, "there are more." he slightly sang the last word.

"Yeah," Belle said smiling, "Rule ten:" she said, impersonating Ela.

"Whatever Ela tells you to do," Max continued.

"You do it." Dan finished.

"Rule eleven:" Lilly said, also impersonating Ela.

"Don't ever hurt someone else, at all." Joe continued managing to concentrate long enough.

"Else you will have me to answer to." Jazz said with the most terrifying smile Wally had ever seen and he had seen the joker smile.

"Rule twelve:" Max said, speaking in a mock posh English voice.

"Don't complain about the food." Helen said 'sweetly'.

"Helen has access to your food," Dan explained. Wally gulped and nodded his understanding of all the rules.

"Okay so rules over with, we need something for you to do," Max said cheerfully and clapping.

"Right, the job options," Ela said. "Okay, Lilly, you go first. We'll go in the same order as the introductions."

"Okay," Lilly said brightly before turning to Wally. "So, I am in charge of the gatherers. We are made of the younger and newer members here. We collect things like wood for fires, water for cooking, stones for building and so on. We know our way around the island second best only to Ela. Even the hunters and runners don't know better than us. We know where to get _anything_.

Oh, and we also deliver messages around."

"Best next!" Jack yelled. "So I rule the hunters and runners. We have the best job. So not only do we hunt but we have our weapons and know how to fight, like, properly fight. We are the defence of this island. We are like a family. We work closely together and know how to blend into the jungle. It doesn't take long to learn. The runners don't kill. They just find the animal and then control where it goes and direct us hunters towards it. As hunters, we then take over, chasing and killing the animal. We do it as quickly and humanely as possible."

"Well, I have the most important job." Jazz remarked. "I take care of the medical staff. We deal with injury and illness whether it be human or animal. We are always busy and we are the smartest here. Don't argue with that. We all know what we are doing and if you want to join, you will need to already have a sort of understanding."

"Fishing." Joe surprisingly wasn't staring off into space. "Our job is the most stress-free. Using the fishing hut by the river, we catch fish. We have a bunch of boats and sometimes we go off to sea. We also take anyone who wants to out to sea if they want to go swimming or something. The boats also move heavier things around."

"Ours is the most hardworking job." Dan began. "Our work is 99% hands-on with 1% design. We build all the tents in the trees and all the paths and lanterns. We always have new projects to work on. We are building a water transport system and are just finishing a storm bunker."

"Me now I guess," Belle said. "So we are the farmers. We care for the farms and the animals. It's pretty simple. Suppose you could call us green thumbs. We also take care of the amount of food we have. If we are running low, we tell the kitchens how much they can use. Simple as."

"Cleaners." Max sang. "We keep this place hygienic and clean. We also wash the clothes down in the washing hut. We will kill you if you make a mess. We have a hut and know how to get away with it. Don't give us more work."

"We cook." Helen bluntly remarked. "We don't just cook but we prepare the food. Skin the animals, scale the fish and gut them all. We get the food, prepare it, store it and then cook it. We check for mould or bugs. We are up early but we never do the cleaning up. Others do that for us as a kind of thanks I guess."

"So they are all the jobs available," Ela said. "You can pick one of them. Of course, if you don't like it, you can swap. We have multiple people who move around to where they are most needed."

Wally thought about it. He liked the idea of being a maintenance person or maybe a medical staff member seeing as he knew so much about science. Then again, the hunters sounded awesome. Although he wouldn't kill.

"I know what I wanna be," he said to them. They all leaned in anticipation to hear what he would say. "I want to be a…"

* * *

 **I am not responsible for any stress that the cliffhanger will cause.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 _ **Sheep Queen**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so sorry!**

 **I've had so many exams, it's been crazy and then I've been working and I still have homework.  
I promise that I won't be inconsistent like this forever; just let me get to the summer holidays.**

 **Sorry for the wait and I hope that you like the chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Batman arrived in the Batcave through the zeta-tube and he walked briskly to the changing area. Alfred deserved to know from Bruce, not Batman.

Bruce walked out of the changing area, his costume in its case, beside the empty case for Robins suit. He would clean Robin's suit before he returned it to its case.

Alfred was waiting for him just below the stairs that lead up to the manor.

"Good evening Master Bruce," Alfred greeted him.

"Good evening Alfred," Bruce replied, trying a polite smile but failing. He was never good with smiling anyway.

"Where is Master Dick this evening?" Alfred asked, not worried yet.

"Dick," how did he continue, "Dick and the rest of the team are missing." Bruce sighed and looked away. He had let his boy go missing. It was his fault. He knew they should never have agreed to the thirty-hour mission.

Alfred wavered for a minute but his facade never fell. Bruce could see the pain in his eyes though. Alfred's grandson was missing as much as Bruce's son was missing. Dick may have been adopted, but he was their family, and he was missing.

"That is a true tragedy," Alfred replied calmly but not unemotionally. "I will ensure that his room is ready for his return."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce knew that it was Alfred's way of showing his trust that Bruce would bring their boy home.

"I will bring him home," Bruce told Alfred quietly.

"Of course you will," Alfred replied smiling gently. "If anyone can find him, Batman can."

oOo

Aquaman swam through the zeta-tube and briefly revelled in being back home.

He was surrounded by the magnificent of Atlantis and around him, the people paid their respects to him as he swam past.

He was only halfway to the palace when his wife met him, wrapping her arms around him, exclaiming how good it was to see him.

When he barely responded, she knew something was wrong. A look into his eyes and no sign of Kaldur said it all. She led him to the palace, calling for Tula and Garth on the way.

Once there, he explained how Kaldur was missing.

There were tears mixing with the salt water once he finished.

He blamed himself for Kaldurs absence. He wished he had never agreed to the thirty-hour mission.

oOo

Zatanna and Raquel looked up when they heard Black Canary arrive at the cave.

They didn't know why they had been called and they were worried as to why their teammates hadn't come back from the mission.

Black Canary walked in, taking in the curious faces of the two teens in front of her. She sighed, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Girls," she started, giving them a small smile and waving them over to the couches.

"So what's this about, then?" Raquel asked crossing her arms. It wasn't serious enough to be a mission.

"I need to talk to you two about the rest of the team," Black Canary said, leaning forward slightly.

"Are they hurt?" Zatanna asked, worried for her friends.

"We don't know," Black Canary tried explaining to the terrified looks of the two teens in front of her. "The rest of the team has gone missing and we don't know where they are."

There was silence for a minute before Zatanna slowly gave in to tears; the small, silent tears slowly turning into wracking sobs. She covered her face with her hands and Raquel put her arm around her friend. Her own tears falling from her eyes as sobs occasionally choked themselves out of her throat.

By the time the sobbing had stopped, eyes were red and puffy, throats were choked raw and hands were shaking.

Black Canary stayed with the girls for the rest of the day, helping them distract themselves and come to terms with the fact that their teammates, their friends were missing.

Black Canary couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. She was responsible for the team in a way. She regretted agreeing to the thirty-hour mission.

oOo

J'hon rested a hand on the back of the sobbing boy in front of him.

Garth had been expecting a visit from his sister but what he got was the news that his sister was missing. He cried for hours until his mum put him to bed and his exhaustion pulled him into sleep.

J'hon left them as he deeply prayed that him agreeing to the thirty-hour mission wasn't a mistake.

oOo

Oli stopped in front of the door. He looked at is as if would give him the answers to life. It didn't even tell him how to tell Paula about her daughter.

He slowly raised his hand to the door and paused before knocking. He couldn't do this. Paula was terrifying. She would kill him if she ever found out. He should just find Artemis and not worry Paula. He should turn around and leave. That was a good idea.

He knocked clearly, three times. When she opened the door, Paula was dressed in everyday clothes with a duster in her hand.

She smiled up at Oli from her wheelchair and invited him in, cheerily asking him if he wanted some tea.

"So what's this visit about?" she asked, showing complete faith that Oli would keep Artemis safe.

"It's about Artemis," he said, not really knowing where to go from there.

"Where's my daughter?" Paula asked, a frown crossing her face.

"After the mission, they didn't radio in or come back in time," he started, looking down. "We went looking for them. There was no sign of them. We found no clues whatsoever. The teams missing." Oliver sighed, looking down, his eyes burning with tears. "Artemis is missing."

He looked up to see Paula silently weeping. He reached out his hands and held hers, offering what little support he had left for the heartbroken mother.

Seeing this mother cry for the loss of her daughter made Oli realize what a mistake it was to agree to a thirty-hour mission.

oOo

Barry looked at the floor as he walked. It was a familiar floor. That was because it was the pavement leading to the house he shared with Iris. He was going to tell Iris and then she would most likely tell her brother about Wally. Barry had no intention of telling Rudolph that his son was missing. He would prefer to face the Rogues with two broken legs.

He reached the door. The paint was new and bright. He and Wally had just repainted all the doors in the house. Wally had painted the front door. Barry took a deep breath and opened the door, where he was greeted by the smell of cookies.

He looked up to see Iris walk out of the kitchen, she had her hair tied back and was wearing comfortable clothes with an apron over the top. A mixing spoon was held in her hand.

"Welcome back sweetie," she said smiling and kissing his cheek.

When Barry didn't move, she frowned at him.

"Well come in," she said, trying to get him moving. "I've made cookies for you and Wally." she smiled looking around but the smile was gone soon again. "Barry, wheres Wally?"

Barry couldn't look at Iris.

"Where is he?" she started worrying. "I've been waiting days to see my nephew, his parents will be eager to see him. Where is he?"

Barry shook his head slightly, not able to look at Iris. He shouldn't have let Wally just go for a thirty-hour mission. It was all his fault.

"Barry," Iris snapped, tears stinging the edges of her eyes, "where is my nephew? Is he hurt? How badly is he hurt? BARRY!" she screamed his name, tears starting their trip down to her chin, where they mixed with the cookie mixture on the wooden spoon.

"Where's Wally?" her voice was quiet now, broken. Her breath started coming out in sobs and only then did Barry lookup.

He saw the pain and fear on his wife's face and he immediately stepped forward. He tried to pull her into a hug but she pushed him away. He tried again. She pushed him away weaker. She gave in. Barry held his wife closely, the cookies forgotten in the oven.

"Where is Wally, Barry?" she managed to choke out.

"I," how could he tell her. Images of her and Wally, cooking and gardening came to his mind. No matter what it was, Wally was always helping Iris with something whenever he was over. They were like a mother and son. They were closer than Wally and Barry. Iris was Wally's best friend, as sad as it was, they were thick as thieves, and here he was, telling Iris that Wally was missing.

"Iris," he started gently, pulling away to look Iris in her heart broken face. He sighed. "Let's sit down and talk, okay?" Iris was too worried to argue, as she let him pull her down onto their living room sofa.

"After the mission, they didn't radio in," he went straight in. Iris already knew this but Barry needed a starting point. "We worried, of course, so we went straight to the island where they had been completing the mission. They… they weren't there. It was empty except for the bio-ship. We found nothing. Batman then tracked their trackers in their suits but… when we found the suits, we didn't find the team."

They were silent for a minute, Iris considering what Barry had just told her.

"What," she looked up at Barry, the light catching the tear streaks that snaked down her cheeks and then met up at her chin, framing the look of pure terror for her nephew that lay across her face like a mask. "What are you… what are you telling me Barry?"

Taking a breath, Barry told her it simply.

"Wally is missing," he looked down to the sofa where he and Wally would sit every week to watch a movie marathon on a Friday night. The pile of movies was already there, ready for when Wally came back from the mission. "We don't know where Wally is."

Iris looked at him for a while, before falling into him, wailing sobs wracking her body. She clutched at Barry, scratching his back with her nails, her tears soaked his chest. He wrapped her up in his arms and cried silently for Wally.

They stayed there, a mess of tears and hiccups, still silently crying as the hysterical part ended and the emotional part caught up. Wally wasn't coming for Friday fish and chips. He loved Irises homemade fish and chips. He never missed it. Wally wasn't there and they didn't know where he was.

After the tears had stopped, they still sat there, using the other for support.

"Barry?" Iris asked, shakily.

"Yes?" Barry replied just as shakily.

"Find the team."

"I'll bring everyone one of them back," he promised her. "I'll bring Wally home."

They were silent for a few more minutes.

"How are we going to tell Rudy and Mary?" Iris asked oh so quietly. Her voice was so broken.

"I don't know," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "I just don't know."

oOo

Wally paused mid-sentence. Him choosing a job here was the last straw. Once he chose a job, he had a commitment. He wasn't just the new boy. He was a part of the community. He was a part of the _family._

Wally looked around him once more. The people here were amazing and they seemed so open and happy despite their pasts. Taking a deep breath, Wally answered them.

"I want to be a," he took another deep breath, one word and he was there. There for real. Not just visiting. Not an outsider. He was a part of it. Looking up, with a determined look in his eyes, he spoke, "runner."

There were eight groans around the fire. Wally looked to Jack, expecting to see a pleased look on his face but he was groaning as well.

"Okay," he started, slightly offended. "I understand the rest groaning but why are you groaning?" he pointed his question at Jack.

"Me and Rose had a bet on who would next get a newbie," Jack explained. "I guess I need to clean the shack."

Wally looked around confused.

"Whos Rose?" he asked them.

"Aoife's sister," Jazz replied.

"That means nothing to me," Wally replied.

"Oh!" Lilly exclaimed, "I'll explain it to you. Aoife is a medic and she is Rose's sister."

"Yes," Wally said slightly annoyed, "but who is Rose?"

"Rose," Helen said, speaking like Wally was an idiot, "is Aoife's sister."

Wally groaned. "Okay, so, Aoife and Rose are sisters, but _who are they?"_

"Sisters," Joe said, confused why Wally was confused.

"Don't worry," Ela said, patting Wally's hand. "You'll figure it out."

Wally groaned and rolled his eyes as the rest of the kids started moving away.

"Hey Wally," Jack called.

Wally looked up and responded, "yeah?"

"Work starts tomorrow," he said, grinning, "I'll come find you at breakfast.

"Why not today?" Wally asked confused.

"Today is the big hunt," Jack replied non committedly. "We don't take newbies on the monthly big hunt. We need our best to get the foothold of the month's supply. We then do a few smaller hunts and spend the days taking stock of what animals are left and how many we can hunt."

"So one hunt provides for the whole month?" Wally asked slightly confused.

"No," Jack laughed slightly. "We do a few smaller hunts whenever the supplies are dwindling."

"Makes sense," Wally said nodding.

"I better go," Jack said turning around to leave. Over his shoulder, he said, "they've probably started already. See you tomorrow."

With a massive, slightly mad grin, Jack ran off into the jungle.

Ela nudged the side of Wally causing him to laugh and wrap an arm around her, pulling her into a hug.

Ela wrapped her arms around him, humming happily. She tried to put her head in his neck but encountered a problem. She pulled away glaring pointedly at the inhibitor collar.

"I can't take it off you know," Wally said, amused.

"Doesn't it annoy you?" Ela asked, massaging the back of his neck above the collar.

"Only when I think about it," Wally admitted. "Unless I'm distracted, it's like an itch that I can't scratch and I can almost feel my powers trying to get to the surface."

"I'll ask Dave if he can take it off," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Dave?" who were all these people?

"Did I never tell you the man's name?" she asked surprised. Wally shook his head and she smiled at him. "The man who brings us here is called Dave."

"Oh, okay," Wally replied, slowly coming to understand names. "So who's Aoife and Rose?" he tried asking but Ela shut him up with a kiss.

Wally smiled at her and cuddled closer to her. She responded by wrapping her arms more tightly around him and they stayed like that for a while.

"Welcome to the family," Ela whispered into Wally's ear before climbing off him and turning away.

She started walking away.

Wally watched her leave as she changed into a leopard and leapt away into the jungle.

He stood and wandered over to the river where he saw the cleaning hut.

He poked his head in, seeing if they needed any help for the day and he was greeted by smiles and hugs from kids who he didn't even know the names of.

They sat him down by the water, his feet dangling in the cool river. A basket of clothes was within reach and he was handed a brush and some spiky brush like thing. He started copying the other and soon, he had it mastered.

Wally sat, cleaning clothes and chatting happily for the whole day. Stopping only for lunch and toilet breaks.

When the day ended, he was pulled into the swarm of kids chatting happily and leaving the hut. Before he left, he saw Max talking with a girl, the girl looked terrified. She looked like one of the fishers due to the water in her hair and the clothes.

They were having an obviously serious discussion. Wally wondered if the discussion was personal or if it affected the whole camp.

Before he left, he saw Max nod at the girl and rub his hand through his hair. For a fourteen-year-old, he looked awfully stressed.

Wally was pulled away in the sea of happy chatter and cheerfulness that was the cleaning kids.

They deposited him from their hord at the main campfire where he found himself, slightly dazed, in front of an amused looking Ela.

She smiled at him, passing him a bowl of food before sitting down with some other kids. He just shook his head and went and sat down next to some faces he recognised.

Halfway through his bowl, Wally noticed that the others from that morning were sat around the fire except Max.

He was about to take another bite when he saw Max walk up to Ela.

Ela was sat talking and laughing with a group of other kids. When Max reached her, he whispered something in her ear and she frowned, concerned and looked up at him. Max nodded at her.

She stood and left her half-finished meal on the floor. They both went around the circle, grabbing the others until all nine were gone to some unknown location.

Wally finished his meal; he headed up to his tent and sat just outside.

Being raised off the ground gave Wally a good view of the camp. He looked around at all the happy kids. He knew that deep down, they all had problems but here, here they were happy. They were relaxed. Wally only wished he could be as happy. He missed his team. He missed his aunt and uncle. He didn't miss his parents.

Taking one last look, Wally stood and entered his tent, deciding that he was better off here than he ever would be back home with his parents.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed!**

 _ **Sheep Queen**_


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